Shane Warne has been named head coach of the Lord’s-based team for the first season of The Hundred.
The ECB’s 100-ball concept, which starts next year, has come under fire but the Australian believes it will be a success.
Warne said: “I’m proud to be head coach. I always want to be ahead of the curve because cricket benefits from innovation and that was the case in 2008 with the IPL, when I was captain-coach of the Rajasthan Royals. I love the concept of The Hundred and it has grabbed my attention in the same way the IPL did.”
Warne is still one of the game’s most recognisable figures, even though he retired from Test cricket in 2007.
The Lord’s women’s team will be coached by Warne’s fellow Australian Lisa Keightley, who became the first female player to score a century at Lord’s when facing England in 1998.
Meanwhile, the crowd for Thursday's T20 Blast game between Middlesex and Surrey at Lord’s was 27,773 — a record for a limited-overs game in this country, apart from finals. Surrey’s clash with Gloucestershire tonight is another sell-out.
